Finding My Way
by MusicGeek764
Summary: Dot's been feeling down on herself for some time. So, she leaves to find what she's good at, and finds the journey to be more than she expected.
1. The Fight

_It's here! This is that long ago promised story! :D Although the start's kinda intense, it won't be as bad as __Break Down__, possibly. XD Nevertheless, I hope this is good! Like __Break Down__, I've already completed this, and will be posting new chapters every Saturday, unless something occurs, in which I'll post it as soon as I can. And I only say that because my life's starting to get pretty busy as summer draws near. But, I digress. On to the story!  
_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own __Animaniacs_. _That fact hasn't changed from my other stories, and all rights still go to their rightful owners. So please don't sue me! *Hides in corner*_

* * *

Finding My Way

Dot shut the TV off with a click of the remote. She looked up to see her brothers both still immersed in their laptops. Yakko was typing a paper for one of his community college classes and Wakko was making more of that weird electronic music with that software he bought. Dot sighed.

_Both of them are good at different things. Wakko has been making that music for almost 2 years. And Yakko's a great writer. His movie reviews are already getting buzz, and he's only been going to school for writing for a few months! _Dot walked passed her brothers, who didn't even notice that the TV was off, and went into the bathroom and looked her reflection.

_What am I good at?_ _Who am I, really? _ These questions had been buzzing in Dot's brain for the past few weeks. Both of her brothers had used some of their biggest talents from their show in their post-_Animaniacs_ days.

Yakko had always been good with words, not only speaking, but writing too. He'd even assisted the writers during the last few episodes. Now, he was probably going to get an English degree, and write for a living.

Wakko had always been the musical one, from his "Great Wakkorotti" skits to that two-note song of his that made it into an episode. He had been good friends with the composers, and, out of the three of them, took Richard Stone's death the hardest.

Dot's only big talent had been her being cute. There wasn't much she could do with that. She'd gone to some acting auditions, only to be rejected, and she had zero interest in modeling. She had no idea what else she could do, and she wasn't feeling very good about herself.

_Am I going to be dependent on my brothers forever?_

She suddenly realized that it was close to dinner time and it was her night to make dinner. She walked back into the living room. Her brothers hadn't moved at all.

"Hey, what do you all what for dinner?" She called, and both of her brothers jumped, leaving the world's they entered while they were working. Wakko just shrugged his shoulders, and went back to his song. Yakko raised one finger to mean "one minuet", finished the sentence he was on, saved, shut his laptop, and walked into the kitchen.

"Yakko, you do realize that it's _my_ night to make dinner," The whole reason they alternated daily chores was because Yakko used to do them all. All that stress caused him to mentally break. Luckily, it had only been temporary, but to prevent it from reoccuring, they shared the household tasks. The threat of it happing again, to any of them, still weighed on the backs of their minds, Yakko's especially. No amount of stress relief in the form of shared chores would make Yakko any less of a worry-wart.

"I know," Yakko replied dismissively, looking into the fridge.

"I can make dinner by myself. I've done it before," Dot said, exasperated.

"I know that too," Yakko said while slamming the fridge door. "Taco's sound good."

"Wakko! Are you cool with tacos?" Dot yelled, knowing that the middle Warner sib would eat whatever they made for dinner. She just liked to include him the selection.

"Yep!" Was his quick reply, and Dot got all the ingredients out. Yakko deliberately walked over to the table and picked up the newspaper he already read.

"Yakko," Dot said, her voice full of sarcastic sweetness. Yakko looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Don't you have a paper to finish?"

"Oh, yeah!" He acted like he'd forgotten, then, probably quicker than necessary, left the kitchen. Dot sighed and got to work on cooking.

About ten minutes later, Yakko walked back into the kitchen, laptop open in one hand, charge cord in another. He sat at the table, plugged his computer into the outlet, and started working again. Dot gave him a look.

"My computer's dying! There wasn't an outlet near where I was sitting!" Yakko quickly said his excuse. Dot rolled her eyes and went back to cooking.

Every once in a while, she'd look over and notice that Yakko was watching her out of the corner of his eye. When he noticed that Dot had caught him, he'd quickly go back to his paper.

_Adding to the list of annoying things, brothers who don't trust you!_ It seemed like Yakko never left her alone. Always looking over her shoulder, never letting her go anywhere alone, not giving her more responsibilities, she could go on. Sure, she may only look to be about 7, but she was mentally a lot older! That came with being a toon. Yakko should know; it's the reason the community college let him in, even though he's around 12-13 physically.

When dinner was ready, they all gathered around the table and started eating. Wakko, being Wakko, was eating multiple tacos at once. It was quiet for a while until Yakko, being Yakko, broke the silence.

"You did a good job on these, sister sibling," Yakko said smiling. Wakko nodded in agreement, his mouth full.

"Thank you, Yakko," Dot replied, still slightly annoyed that he wouldn't let her make dinner unsupervised. _Just take the comment..._

"I mean you should now. You watched me make them," Dot said, giving a caustic sting to her words.

"Now, wait a second-" Yakko started, but Dot cut him off.

"No, _you_ wait a second! I can't believe that you don't trust me to make dinner! In fact, you don't trust me at all!" Wakko's eyes darted back and forth as his eldest and youngest siblings were on their feet, staring daggers at each other.

"That's uncalled for!" Yakko yelled in defense.

"How is it not? You never leave me alone! I can't go out shopping by myself; either you or Wakko have to escort me! I can't do most of my chores without you breathing down my neck! The only peace I get is when you have class!"

"I just don't want you getting hurt!"

"You need to let me grow up! You've never given me any sense of trust! And that hurts!"

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Yakko screamed. Dot and Wakko blinked in shock; even Yakko looked confused at the words he had just spoken. Yakko had never punished them, _ever._ Blinking back tears, Dot pulled out her mallet.

"Dot, stop!" Wakko broke his silence, not wanting this conflict to turn violent. Yakko said nothing, but braced himself for the hit, still locking eyes with Dot. Dot looked right back, readied the mallet. Suddenly, her eyes widened. She looked away, and smashed the mallet on the fourth chair that they never used.

All three siblings were breathing heavily, unmoving. Dot suddenly put her mallet back into pockets, and ran to her room, leaving her brothers in a state of shock.

* * *

_For those of you who haven't read my first multi-chapter story, __Break Down__, I call back to it somewhat, especially with Yakko. First, I highly encourage you to read it, as I'm quite proud of it, and I will spoil it in this fic. Second, if you decide to be lazy, I'll put footnotes down here to explain some things that may not make sense if you haven't read it. See you next chapter! :)_


	2. Run

_Chapter two! :) More drama and my first attempt at switching perspective's mid-fic! :D You'll be able to tell by the line break. First part is Dot's perspective, in a third-person limited style. The second part is Yakko and Wakko's perspective in a third-person omniscient style. Enjoy! (Raiting info, cause I left it off chapter 1: T, mostly for language, more to be safe than anything really XD)_

**Disclaimer on chapter one.**

* * *

Dot never emerged from the bedroom. When Yakko and Wakko went to bed, she was already curled up on her bunk, apparently asleep, her back to them. Yakko walked up and softly put his hand on her shoulder. Dot tensed, but didn't wake.

"I'm sorry," He breathed, and then the Warner brothers went to bed. They didn't realize that Dot had woken up when they opened the door, and that she had heard Yakko's apology.

_Coward didn't even see if I was awake to apologize! Not that I would have accepted it, anyway. _

Dot slowly fell back asleep, still angry.

Despite being the first to bed, Dot was the last up. She walked into the kitchen to see a note lying on the table. She winced slightly at seeing the remains of the chair still on the floor, and picked up the note:

Dot-

Wakko and I went to the store. Look, I'm really sorry about last night. I hope we can talk about it when I get home.

Love, Yakko

Dot crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash. _He thinks that a chat will fix this! Yeah, right!_

Suddenly, an idea came to her. _I'm obviously not finding what I'm good at here in Burbank. And, I'm sick and tired of my brother's never leaving me alone. _She walked out of the tower door and leaned on the railing. _I want to see the world! I want to see what's out there! _

"I'm sick of Burbank, I'm sick of my brothers, I sick of this water tower, of this lot, of this life in general!" She muttered to herself. She walked back inside, went to her bedroom, grabbed a duffle bag, and started packing.

"If I can't find myself here, I'm going somewhere else!" She put most of her clothes, some food, and enough money to last her a few weeks into the bag. _We have enough money that they won't notice its missing. And, I'll try to get a job, a place, wherever I end up. This will just keep me going for a while._

She was almost out the door when she thought about Yakko and Wakko. Despite the fact she was still pretty mad at them, they deserved an explanation. She walked back into the kitchen, quickly wrote a note, and placed it on the table where Yakko's note had been earlier. With a deep breath, she grabbed her bag, and walked out of the tower.

_No turning back now._

* * *

Yakko and Wakko entered the tower, both carrying overflowing bags of groceries. Wakko went straight to the kitchen.

"Dot!" Yakko called out, before remembering that she may still be mad at him and not respond. He sighed and followed his brother. When he entered, he saw Wakko standing there, holding a note, his eye's widening as he read it.

"Wakko? What's going on" Yakko asked, putting down his bags. Wakko wordlessly handed him the note. _Are those tears in his eyes?_ Yakko picked up the note, and quickly read through it:

Yakko and Wakko-

I'm sorry. I really am. But, I'm tired of living here. I bored, watching you both find things that you're not only really good at, but that you can make a living out of. I don't have anything like that. And, I don't think I'll be able to until I get out on my own, without my brothers constantly watching my every move. So, I've left. I'm not quite sure where exactly I'm going, but I have to hope I'll find a place where I can find myself. As much as I hate that it took a fight to see this, I'm glad I figured it out. Again, I'm so sorry.

-Dot

"But...she's...she can't...wha..." Yakko was speechless, an incredible feat on Dot's part.

"Yakko, she's gone," Wakko could see in his brother's eyes that he didn't believe it, and, as much as he hated to be the bearer of bad news, Yakko had to accept it.

Yakko suddenly ran out of the kitchen and to the bedroom. He tore through closets and dresser drawers, only to see most of Dot's clothes gone, as well as a duffle bag. He kept looking though the tower, only to see more evidence of Dot's leaving. More of her things were gone, nonperishable food was missing, as well as good chunk of money out of their bank account. Enough was missing to last someone a while, but not enough to put a big dent in their account. They had made a lot making _Animaniacs_, and the royalties from the DVD's weren't bad either.

Wakko solemnly followed his brother around, watching him try in vain to fend off the inevitable. After a few minutes of disbelief, Wakko had accepted it. It would drive him crazy if he didn't, and not believing it wouldn't bring back Dot.

Yakko, on the other hand, wasn't going to take this easily. Despite all the measures they'd taken to relieve his stress, Yakko still saw himself as the parental figure of the household. He wasn't going to take their sister's running away as easily.

Soon, Wakko saw acceptance fill Yakko's eyes, and along with it, sadness and failure.

"Yakko," Wakko mumbled, holding his arms out. Yakko took the offering of a hug, and started sobbing into his younger brother's shoulder. A good five minutes passed before Yakko spoke.

"It's all my fault," He muttered, whipping tears from his eyes.

"No, it's not, Yakko! It isn't anyone's fault, really..." Wakko muttered.

"What are we going to do?" Yakko asked, ignoring the weird feeling that came with not knowing all the answers, like he was used to.

"First, we're going to calm down. Both of us," Wakko said, who was starting to see how hard it was to be the strong one. "Then, we're going to talk to Dr. Scratchnsniff. We need to tell someone about this, and he's one of the only adults who seem to care about us." Yakko nodded in approval.

"I'll go take a shower. That helps me calm down some," Yakko muttered, more to himself than to Wakko.

"Good idea," Wakko replied to him anyway. He went to make himself something to eat, which was his solution to most anything.

He was busy spreading peanut butter on a piece of bread when he heard the sound of someone's fist hitting something.

"Yakko!" He called, running to the bathroom. He found his brother, his head buried in his left arm, his right fist still punching the bathroom door slightly.

"Wakko?" Yakko's quiet, tired voice didn't seem to come from him.

"Yeah?"

"Can you open the door for me, please?"

"Why," _Don't let it be..._

Yakko turned to face his brother, his face filled with a mix of embarrassment and fear.

"I can't see the door knob." Wakko took a deep breath at hearing the words he hoped he'd never have to hear again.

"Just close your eyes and shake your head! Isn't that what you used to do when you...when you'd have your blanks?" The words were hard to get out. Wakko didn't want to go back to that time a year and a half ago, when Yakko was going through his Toon's Major Depressive Episode. Especially right now.

"Tried that, didn't work. That's why I punched the door," Yakko said so casually, he might have been talking about the weather.

"You do realize that we'll have to tell Scratchy about this," Wakko said, opening the bathroom door for Yakko.

"I figured. Great, back on the happy pills. Those things were really hard to swallow."

* * *

_Footnote time: Toon's Major Depressive episode is a toon's mental disorder that I (obviously) made up and made Yakko have. A symptom was hallucinations. A specific type Yakko had were called "blanks" or not seeing specific things or people that are in front of your face. The more you know. :) Thanks for reading, and see you next week!_


	3. Guardian Angel

_Hellooooo everyone! XD Chapter 3 is here! Quick note: In this story, we're in a __Who Framed Roger Rabbit__ type universe. That means that toons and humans are separate species and they coexist together. Me saying (typing?) this will help make this chapter, and the story itself, clearer. Also, artistic license in effect regarding how Amtrak works, because I've never used it! XD Oh, and it's Dot's POV this time. :)_

**Disclaimer's still on chapter one.**

* * *

Dot got off the city bus and went into the Amtrak station. She walked over to a list of times when different trains would be leaving.

_Where to go? Where to go? _She'd already decided to leave the state before she got there. It would allow her to see at least more of the country, and if her brothers called the police, which she had an inkling they would, it would make it harder to find her.

As she kept scanning over the list of departing trains, she kept going back to Atlanta, Georgia. She'd heard some about it, as the Olympics had been held there while they were still filming their show, but she had never actually been there herself. _That's it! That's the place I need to go._ She walked up to the ticket counter.

"One ticket for Atlanta, please?" She asked, lightly putting on the "cute eyes" to avoid any questions about her being too young.

The ticket seller, a balding man in his 40's, looked at a schedule. "Ma'am, you realize that's not a nonstop path? There'll be a stop in Kansas City on the way there."

"That's fine," She said, sliding her money through the window. The look on the guy's face, whose name tag said his name was Joe, told Dot that most people didn't pay for their tickets in cash.

"Well, alright then," He said, taking the money and printing off the ticket.

"Thank you," Dot said, before skipping off to recheck the departure board. Her train didn't leave for an hour, and she was getting kinda hungry. She walked over to the food court, got a sandwich and a smoothie, and sat down and waited.

"Hello there, miss."

Dot turned at the voice and saw a kindly man who looked to be in his late 50's. He looked a lot healthier than the man who had sold her the ticket.

"Hello," Dot said quietly. He seemed nice enough, but she was carefull. _What was that old after-school-special lesson? Don't talk to strangers? Didn't they disprove that by saying most kidnappings were by people who the victim knew? _

Despite here somewhat reassuring thoughts, Dot suddenly realized just how vulnerable she was. She was alone, with no brothers around to watch her.

_I don't need them! I can handle myself! _

She reached into her pockets and found her mallet, preparing to bring it out, when she realized with a jolt that this man was human. If she hit him with her mallet, or anything in her toon arsenal, he would actually get hurt, or worse.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" He was asking.

"Sure," She said, slightly meekly. She didn't want to seem rude, and she was in a public place. She could always yell if something went wrong.

"So, where's a young toon like yourself going?"

"I'm not young; I'm just drawn that way!" Dot felt the need to defend herself.

The man just chuckled. "I understand that. My uncle was a cartoonist," Dot was slightly shocked. Due to the fact she and her brothers had been drawn in 1929 and then quickly locked up in the water tower, they'd never met their creator. "I'm just curious as to where you might be heading."

"Georgia," Dot replied quickly. She didn't feel like saying exactly where.

"And what's waiting for you in Georgia?"

"I'm...not exactly sure," She admitted. "I'm hoping to find myself there," They were both quiet for a second. "Where are you headed?"

"Seattle, Washington. My oldest daughter's about to have my first grandchild."

"Really? Congratulations! Is it a boy, or a girl?"

"We don't know; my daughter wanted it to be a secret. She always loved surprises." He said with a chuckle. "I don't believe I caught your name,"

"Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the Third. But, you can call me Dot!"

"Well there, Dot, you've got quite a name!" Dot giggled at that.

"I get that all the time."

"I'm Jim."

"Nice to meet ch'a, Jim! You're going to be Grandpa Jim soon!" It was Jim's turn to chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess your right!" He sat there and thought for a second. Suddenly, something seemed to flash across his face, and he began digging through his bag. Dot watched as his face brightened as he found whatever he was looking for.

"For you," Grandpa Jim said kindly, handing Dot a small white jewelry box. She opened it and gasped slightly and the prize it held; a necklace with an angle, with an emerald skirt, on a gold chain.

"I couldn't accept this!" She gasped at the beautiful necklace.

"It was my daughter's, given to her when she was born by her grandfather. She was born in May, so that's her birthstone. We thought we lost it in a move when she was 13. I found it a couple weeks ago, going through the attic. I was going to give it to her as a surprise, but," He took the necklace, put it around Dot's neck, then closed the clasp. "I think you might need a guardian angel." Dot touched the necklace, the looked at Grandpa Jim kindly.

"Thank you."

He looked at his watch, then gathered up his things. "I have to board my train soon. I wish you the best of luck with your journey." He stood up, and offered his hand. Dot shook it.

"Thank you for the necklace, and your company."

"And thank you as well."

"Tell your daughter that I said 'Congratulations!' Good luck and good bye, Grandpa Jim!"

He chuckled slightly. "Goodbye, Dot."

She watched him walk off. _Weird, he didn't try to coerce me home, didn't try to teach me a lesson about running away. He just accepted it. _She touched the necklace again, the angel sparkling in the sunlight coming in through a nearby window. She smiled to herself, and went back to her lunch.

* * *

_So, why Atlanta? I don't live there (If you've read my profile, I mention I'm from Ohio), but I have family who live in it's suburbs. I've gone a few different times in my life, so I'm pretty familar with it, and yet not familiar enough with it to be able to make stuff up freely! :D Just felt like explaining. Thanks for reading, and see ya next week! :)_


	4. Brothers

_Happy Friday, and welcome to chapter 4! This is early because my awesome big sis graduates college TOMORROW, and I'm not gonna have any time to publish. I was going to be evil and make you all wait until Sunday, but I decited to be nice! :) _

_Another switch of perspective, as we go back to Yakko and Wakko, and I throw Hello Nurse and Scratchnsniff into the mix. A note about Scratchy: I'm terrible at writing in dialects, though I did try some. So, please use that lovely thing you have called an "imagination" and read his parts in a German accent. Thank you in advance, and enjoy! :)_

**I think you've figured out where it is by now.**

* * *

Contrary to Dot, Yakko and Wakko were not doing so well. The two of them walked across the Warner Bros. movie lot, heading to Dr. Scratchnsniff's office. Both of them dragged their feet, and Yakko's eyes seemed dead. Not even the warm, summer sunshine could perk them up.

They walked in to see Hello Nurse busy typing up something or another. Under normal circumstances, they'd make themselves known with a big "Hellooooo Nurse!" But, under normal circumstances, they'd have Dot with them.

When she saw the Warner brothers walk up to her desk, warning bells went off in Hello Nurse's head. They hadn't used their normal greeting, and they looked depressed and warn down.

"Is Scratchy available?" Wakko asked. She noted that Yakko didn't look like talking, for once. Also, Wakko normally didn't ask for the doctor, as he and Yakko were usually drooling over her. That was usually Dot's job. But where was...

"Where's Dot?" Hello Nurse asked, noticing the Warner sister's absence, which set off a whole new set of warning bells in her head. Wakko looked close to tears, and Yakko just shook his head, in a completely out of character move. _This is bad._

"Dr. Scratchnsniff," Hello Nurse franticly spoke into the intercom that connected her to his office.

"Vhat?" He replied back in that thick German accent of his.

"The Warner brother's would like to see you."

"Voluntarily?" Hello Nurse understood the confusion in his voice. They normally had to force the kids to come to their appointments.

"Yes, and it's bad." Hello Nurse took a deep breath. "Dot's not here." She watched pain flash through Yakko and Wakko's faces. She could hear the doctor gasp.

"Send them in, right away."

She turned to the brothers. "You can go in." The two boys just nodded, and slowly walked their way to Dr. Scratchnsniff's office.

_What happened?_

The same question ran through Dr. Scratchnsniff's head as the Warner brothers, minus sister Dot, walk into their office. Just walked. No running, no bouncing, not popping out of places like desk drawers or the pages of books. It was the first time the Warner's had ever entered his office normally, and it set off a string of questions, as it would for any good psychiatrist.

He watched them sit down on the couch, their faces filled with grief. Wakko seemed close to tears, and Yakko looked to be in a state of shock.

"Yakko, Wakko," He began gently. "Vhat happened? Vhere is Dot?"

"We're not sure," Wakko spoke up, immidently putting Scratchnsniff on alert about Yakko. He normally spoke up first, not Wakko. In fact, Yakko almost had a dead, hopeless look to his eyes, scaring Scratchnsniff further. Yakko had already beaten one mental disorder, one that took a lot of time on both of their parts. If it happened again...

"Vhy are you not sure of Dot's vhereabouts?"

"She just ran off," Those words, still spoken by Wakko, caught Scratchnsniff off-guard. Dot had never seemed at-risk for running away. "We left to get groceries while she was still sleeping, and when we came back, she had left a note, explaining herself. She had taken most of her things, and some money."

"May I see the note?" Wakko pulled it out of his pockets and handed it to the psychiatrist. He read through it quickly, his eye's widening at the words. _How could I not have seen this?_

"Vell, this is very bad-"

"Of course it's bad!" Yakko had broken his silence, and he was understandably angry. "My sister,_ my baby sister_, is out there, all alone! And I don't know where she is..." Yakko quieted back down, and blinked back tears. Wakko put his arm around his brother.

Scratchnsniff saw embarrassment cross Yakko's face before he spoke the next words.

"I've been have some blanks again."

Scratchnsniff never wanted to hear those words again, and the look on Yakko's face said that he didn't want to ever have to say those words again.

"Vhen did they start?"

"After Dot left."

"Vell, that means that the stress of Dot leaving is vhat's causing it, and it's good that ve know the cause. I'll have to put you back on the medicine again, Yakko." At those words, Yakko let out a whine of protest.

"Do you vant this getting worse? The last thing Wakko, or Dot for that matter, needs from you right now is to be mentally unhealthy! Besides, the dosing won't be as strong this time around, because we caught it early. Meaning, the pills will be easier to swallow, and you might not need to be on them as long."

Yakko seemed okay with that, but both kids still seemed down.

"Look, kiddes," Scratchnsniff started with a deep breath. "Ve'll vork on finding her, ve'll file a missing persons report with the police, but there's a good chance she'll have taken measures to prevent the police from finding her. She's a smart girl. For right now, go home. Rest some. I'll go get Yakko's prescription filled and talk to the cops, and I'll stop by later with Yakko's prescription and tell you whatever the cops tell me."

With that, Yakko and Wakko walked home. They felt a bit better, knowing that more people knew and would be looking. But, Dot's absence was felt.

Despite what Wakko had said earlier, Yakko still felt like it was all his fault. _If only I had seen this... __If I had only given her more responsibilities..._

Wakko felt scared for both his siblings. Dot could be anywhere, and Yakko seemed to slipping again. He didn't know what he was going to do if he lost both of his siblings...

When they got back to the tower, Yakko immediately went to the bedroom. When Wakko gingerly approached the door, he could here sobs. It was so weird. Yakko was normally the strong one, the one who always the way out of a situation, the one who's shoulder he could cry on. Now, facing the disappearance of his sister and his mentality slipping again, Yakko was falling apart.

With a jolt, Wakko realized he hadn't given himself a chance to grieve yet, to cry about this whole shitty situation. He had been filling Yakko's shoes as the strong one for, ironically, Yakko's sake. That couldn't be good for him. He couldn't slip either, for his sibling's sakes.

Yakko couldn't stop the tears. Dot could be lost, hurt, or worse. And he was mad at himself. He was supposed to be the strong one, and this was the second time he was crying over this, while Wakko had barely shed a tear.

_Oh, how the tables seem to have turned. And what if Wakko's holding it in for my sake, and he starts breaking too? I'm such a terrible guardian... How could I have let all this happen?_

Yakko was snapped out of his thoughts when the door opened. A wild, hopeful though made him think it was Dot, but Wakko entered instead. He looked near to tears. Yakko silently indicated for him to come over. Wakko accepted and they hugged each other and cried.

"Thanks," Wakko breathed into Yakko's ear. "For everything."

_Maybe I'm doing something right after all._

* * *

_For more about Yakko's "blanks" and that crazy mental disorder of his, see the footnote on chapter 2. Or, go read __Break Down__. I prefer option two, for obvious reasons. ;) Chapter five is going to be published on Saturday (read: A week from tomorrow) and I'm going to stick to Saturday's as best I can. However, my summer is super busy, so please be flexible! See you all next week! :D_


	5. Travels

_Welcome to chapter 5! :D We're back to Dot's perspective,_ _and, from now on, just assume its Dot's unless I say otherwise. Also, like I said on chapter 3, I've never been on an Amtrak train in my life, so I'm kinda playing this chapter by ear. Sorry if it's wrong; you can degrade me in your reviews! XD Oh, and this story will be longer, chapter and word amount wise, than __Break Down__. So, brace yourself. :) _

_And congrats to my real world bestie, known on here as ashardoffreedom, for completing her first multi-chapter fanfic on Thursday! YAY! :D_

**I think you can find it.**

* * *

Soon after Dot had said her goodbye's to Grandpa Jim, she had been recognized by a couple of fans. She had been able to dodge their questions, but she realized that she was still recognizable. So, she changed clothes, now wearing a hotter pink top with ruffles around the neckline and a denim skirt. The guardian angel necklace was still around her neck.

The only part of her original outfit she didn't get rid of was her flower scrunchie. She didn't like the way her ears hang without it, and it was a reminder of home. She might be leaving home, but she didn't want to forget it.

She now sat on the train, watching the American plans sweep by her window. The enormity of her decision was really starting to sink in. She was really leaving home, which was exciting. She was finally going to see more of the world, or at least America outside of California. She was independent, free to make her own choices.

And yet, that freedom came with fear. What if she made the wrong choices? What if things didn't go well? And, it wasn't like the world was always kind. Not everyone was going to be as caring as Grandpa Jim.

And there was regret. How had Yakko and Wakko responded to this? They were probably shocked, no doubt about it. But, they were going to have to accept this. Had they expected her to stay with them forever? And yet, she already sort of missed her brothers. She wished she had apologized to Yakko a bit more.

An automatic voice came on over the loudspeaker, making most of the passengers, including Dot, jump.

"Attention Amtrak passengers: We are now stopping in Kansas City, Kansas. All passengers must get off the train, with their belongings, even if you're staying on to Atlanta, Georgia. We need to clean the train for any new passengers joining us in Kansas City."

When the train stopped, Dot took the opportunity to move around some. She bought some more food, freshened up in the bathroom, and got a small travel pillow; the seats weren't very comfy.

She didn't think she could get back on just yet, so she walked around the station some. She saw a payphone and decided to call back home. At least let Yakko and Wakko know she was safe. She headed toward the phone.

"Hey, there." Dot stop suddenly as a sketchy-looking toon got in front of her. "What's a pretty little thing like yourself doing out here?"

"No reason that you need to know about," Dot said, trying to get around him to get to the phone.

"Come on," He said, and Dot realized that he was slurring his words. _Oh, crap. I can smell alcohol on his breath._ "A hot thing like yourself should be in Hollywood."

He suddenly leaned in close, causing Dot to step back, her eyes widening. "Or, at my place." He grinned creepily and winked.

Dot, acting on instinct, pulled out an anvil and swiftly dropped it on his head. The crash of the anvil caused some of the humans to look around in shock, then then relief when they realized that they were toons. Dot shoved the anvil back into hammer space, and the creeper toon bounced up like an accordion, which was a light insult to accordions.

"That's how we do it in Hollywood, idiot," Dot remarked, then ran off before he could retaliate. When she checked the clock, she realized that she only had about ten minutes before the train left; not nearly enough time to make the call she'd been hoping to make.

She got back on the train at her original seat, and sat down. Her heart was still racing from the confrontation she faced earlier. _If Yakko or Wakko had been here, he would have gotten a heck of a lot worse than an anvil. _And yet, she felt proud of herself. She had been able to fight off a danger; she'd proven herself.

_I'm not completely helpless!_

The train lurched forward, and Dot watched as the train slowly sped away from the city back into countryside. She hopped she'd be able to call again, but she wasn't sure. When she got to Atlanta, she'd want to get focused on finding work and finding herself.

She looked across the aisle to see a family had taken the seat there. She saw two brothers and a younger sister. She watched as the two brothers helped their sister color, and felt a pang of homesickness. She looked back out the window.

_I'm so sorry Wakko. I'm so sorry Yakko. I'm so sorry._

* * *

The trip took more than a day, so Dot had to sleep on the train. She was extremely glad she'd bought that travel pillow, because it looked like some of her fellow passengers were unprepared for an overnight stay.

She noted that the family across the aisle were prepared. The parents were covering their kids with blankets. She watched as the oldest boy looked over to her, and cocked his head sideways. He was closest to the aisle, so he got up and walked over to Dot.

"Doncha have a blanket?" He asked in a way that made Dot pang for Yakko. _He looks out for others, like all big brothers should. _

"No, I didn't realize that this would be an overnight trip,"

"But, you have a pillow," The middle boy had walked over, and the parents attention had been caught at this point. Dot gave them a motion to let them know it was okay.

"I bought it, didn't think I needed it for sleeping."

"Do you want my blanket?" The little girl had come down now, and was handing her a soft, blue blanket.

Dot smiled at her kindness. "You can keep it. It's fine."

"Are you sure?" The oldest boy had spoken up again. Dot nodded.

"Here," The girl had spoken up again, handing Dot her blanket and walked back without another word. Dot and the two boys shrugged at each other. _I would have done the same thing._

"Good night," The younger boy said.

"Good night," Dot echoed back.

As she snuggled with her blanket, she watched the two brothers share their blankets to cover their little sister, who was between them. Another pang of homesickness went through Dot.

_I thought this was what I wanted! I thought I'd glad to leave home!_

She looked back over to the family, now all asleep.

_I can't turn back now. I'm just not used to being away. It'll get easier. _

The next morning, Dot returned the blanket to the family, and thanked them for letting her use it. About an hour and a half later the same announcer came on over the intercom, again making everyone jump.

"Attention Amtrak passengers: We are arriving in Atlanta Georgia. We need all passengers to exit the train with their belongings, even if you're staying on to our next stop in Cincinnati, Ohio. We need to clean the train for the new passengers joining us in Atlanta, Georgia." Dot gathered up her things and looked one last time at the skyline before the train entered the station.

_Here I go._

* * *

_Can I just thank all of you guys soooooo much? It's crazy the amont of reviews, favorites, and alerts I'm getting, and even if all you do is read, I really enjoy it. Quick shout out to readers outside the USA, because I NEVER though that people outside my home country would ever read anything I write! Everytime I look at my stats and see all the different countries listed, I get "Yakko's World" stuck in my head! XD I love all my USA readers too, don't worry! Everyone can have free internet cookies and hugs, and I'll see you guys next week!_


	6. Claudia

_Hellooooo Chapter 6! Hooray for exam week being over! Hooray for updates and diving deeper into the plot! :D Also, hooray for original characters...maybe. OC's that are more than just background characters are another thing I'm attempting with this fic, so constructive criticism about my OC is very much appreciated. :) Also, because I'm getting some questions, this will be 14 chapters long. So, we've still got lots of story to go! :D Anywho, on to the chapter!_

**Obviously, the disclaimer's on chapter 1. But, you can't sue me over my OC! HA!**

* * *

Dot got off the train and, after freshening up quickly in the bathroom, left the station and walked into the warm Georgia sunshine.

Atlanta was a beautiful city, and Dot had walked into its heart. A large park with statues, some for famous dead people, some for the 1996 Olympics, and an area were young children were playing with water jets that would pop out of the ground at random times. She walked by the CNN building, were a sign hang advertising tours, the Georgia Aquarium, and the New World of Coca-Cola, with the two later-mentioned places having lines out the door.

Dot spent the rest of the day exploring the city, ducking into sidewalk cafés and coffee shops to eat. As dusk approached, however, she suddenly realized a problem.

_Where am I going to stay? A hotel would burn up money too quickly, and there's no way I'm sleeping on the street. _

_ Stupid! I completely forgot about this! What did I think; that a place to stay and a job would be waiting for me once I got off the train? Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

While she was lost in her thoughts, Dot didn't realize that she'd accidently walked into a not-so-nice area of town.

_Great, now I'm lost! And this place is sketchy..._

Dot tried to find out where she was and how to get back to a nicer area, but she had no luck. She decided to keep walking, in hopes she'd eventually get back to where she was earlier.

"Hey there."

Dot jumped, and found herself frozen in place as two huge, muscular, and sinister-looking men came out of the ally and surrounded her. She was about to take a leaf out of Slappy's book and shove some dynamite down their pants, but as they got closer, she saw they were human. She couldn't do that, or use much else in her pockets, without seriously harming or killing them. And, they hadn't done anything to her yet, so self-defense wasn't an option.

"What's a little girl like you doing out here _all alone_?" The one who was doing the talking had blonde hair in a buzz cut. His silent partner was African-American, and had the same hair as his buddy, only in black.

Dot's knee's knocked as she tried to back away, but hit a brick wall, literally. The two men grinned evilly and all the heinous things they could do to her flashed though her mind.

"Hold it right there, boys."

Dot and the two men turned to see a Latina girl standing there, her hands on her hips, and a rather angry scowl on her face. A pose of three other girls were a bit farther behind her, watching with safe curiosity.

"She's with me," She said walking over and putting a reassuring arm around Dot while pulling her closer. "She just went out to get some air."

"Yeah, it got crowded in there," Dot responded, realizing quickly what this girl was doing, because Dot had done it before. _I can't believe she's trying to protect me!_

"Oh, really?" The silent one spoke this time, with the exact voice you'd expect for a strong, but silent, type. "What's her name?" At first Dot thought he was asking her, but then he pointed to Dot, and he was looking at the girl.

The talkative one sneered. "And, I'll know if you're lying. My younger siblings used to watch the cartoon she was on."

Dot had started to panic, and was considering the dynamite again, but the girl stepped out, put a hand on her hip, and looked them straight in the eye.

"Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the Third," She said in one breath, shocking both Dot and the two men. "But, you can call her Dot. Call her 'Dottie' and you die," She finished with a smirk.

The talkative one spat on the ground in front of the girl and the two men walked off. The girl pose started clapping and exclaiming how great she was and how brave she was, and that they thought that she would have died.

Dot touched her necklace and approached the girl. "Thanks," She said. "For that."

"No prob, Dot." The girl grinned back. "And, if you're wondering, that slime ball's younger sibs weren't they only ones who watched you and your brother's show as a kid." She said with a wink.

The pose of girls started talking about how they had to go; they had work in the morning, and that she'd deserved a metal, that this will be big buzz on Twitter, and how they'd see her soon. There was so much talking that Dot didn't catch the girl's name.

Soon, it was just Dot and this really brave girl. What had just happened was really starting to sink in. _That could have ended so much worse. Thank God this girl showed up._

"So, sense you obviously know my name, what's yours?" Dot asked.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot you don't know mine!" She said laughing. She started walking, indicating for Dot to follow her. "I'm Claudia."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thanks!"

"I should be saying thank you, after what happened back there."

"Again, it's no problem Dot. I would've done it for anyone."

"Actually, I prefer 'Angelina' now." She'd decided on that earlier, as another way to avoid the possible police that her brothers may have sent out.

"Okay then... Angelina." Claudia paused, unused to the familair name. For a split second, Dot saw worry flash through her eyes. _Worry? For who? Me?_

"So, where are Yakko and Wakko? I've never seen one of the Warner siblings alone before." Claudia said while turning to Dot and raising an eyebrow.

A guilty pang went through Dot. She couldn't avoid the question this time, unlike what she'd done back at the Amtrak station in California, which seemed ages ago.

"I'm out on my own now," Dot said, trying to not say too much.

Claudia looked concerned. "Is everything okay with you and your brothers? Do they know you're here?"

"Yes, and yes." Dot hated lying, but Claudia was Dot's only chance right now to get a place to stay and, possibly, a job. If she told her the truth, Claudia might force her home, or contact Yakko or Wakko, who would do the same thing.

Luckily for Dot, Claudia bought it, or seemed to. "Okay then. That must mean that you need a place to stay?" Dot nodded. Claudia laughed. "You can stay with me."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so, so much!"

"No problem. It's nothing, really."

* * *

_Those lovely little museums and attractions actually excist, and I've visted all of them at lest once. :) Oh, and_ **I don't own any of the attractions or anything to do with their companies. All rights go to their respective owners. **_(Sorry, needed a disclaimer)__ I should also let you all know that this story is going to mello down some. And I say "some" because the drama's not over yet! ;) However, I'm letting Dot, and the rest of ya'll (We're in the Deep South now. Embrace it!), take a breather for a while. So, yeah. *akward turtle* See ya'll next week! :D_


	7. Looking Up

_Chapter 7! Sorry, but this is another shorter chapter, as this is mostly info on Claudia and other stuff that will later become important. AKA, this isn't filler, but exposition! Like I said in the footnote for chapter 6, things might...slow down a little. I'm being honest, and you_ _might not think so. *Shrugs* To the chapter! _

**I think you can figure out where it is.**

* * *

About 10 minutes later they arrived at a newer shopping area were there were apartments above the different restaurants and shops. It was still pretty lively; Dot could hear the off-pitch voice coming from a bar's karaoke night.

"God, I wish they'd stop holding those karaoke nights," Claudia muttered. "Well, here we are!"

Dot looked up at the building on the corner. It looked like a two-story loft, which would be roomy. Dot's eyes went to the sign on the shop below.

"'The Magic Closet'?" Dot read the pastel-colored sign aloud. Behind the letters was the titular Magic Closet, open with sparkles coming out. _Why does magic always sparkle?_

"Yep! I work there."

"That's incredibly convenient."

Claudia laughed as she went into a side door that immediately leads you to stairs. Dot followed Claudia up. "Hooray for 30 second commutes! And the traffic's great! Plus, the owner's husband owns both the store and the apartment, so I get an employee's discount on my rent. And they automatically take my rent and utilities fees out of my paycheck, like the government does with taxes. It's one less thing to remember, which is good because I'm _really _forgetful!"

They'd reached Claudia's door. She took out her key and let them in. Dot immediately admired her style of decorating; it was modern, with bright pops of color.

"Welcome! Sorry if it's a little messy."

"Sweetie, this is _nothing_ compared to the water tower!" Dot laughed, but soon after her words came out, she felt a pang of homesickness. It must have shown on her face, because Claudia looked concerned. Afraid she'd start asking questions, Dot quickly changed the subject.

"So, what do you _do_ at The Magic Closet?" Dot was rather curious.

"It's a charity. We collect formal wear for both women, men, and kids and donate them to people who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford them. We mainly do homecoming and prom, but we've done everything from birthdays to weddings. We mostly get dresses and men's suits and tuxedos, but we also take shoes and other accessories. For homecomings and proms, we'll also do hair and make-up. It's a lot of fun!"

Dot was impressed. She'd expected some cheap boutique or accessory store. This sounded cool.

"My specific duties are to sort and hang donations, and occasionally run some to cleaners and Laundromats. When we have customers, I help them find the right dress-you work with your same gender-as well as things to go with it."

"So, if your products are all donations, how do you guys get money?"

"Mostly the same way we get our products; donations."

"And who do you help?" Hey, Dot was curioius. She'd never heard of a place like this before. Claudia didn't seem to mind talking about it; in fact, she seemed glad that Dot was interested.

"We help people who are really struggling financially, so they still go to all the formal events without breaking the bank, though they have to apply first, or have someone apply for them. This is especially true with homecoming and prom; it's why they're our busiest times of year. However, some of the ones who qualify, but are a little better off, get their things at a discounted rate. Mind you, it's still _extremely_ cheap, and it depends on the situation.

"Well, enough about my work. Let me show you around." They'd been in the front hall/kitchen the whole time. Claudia showed her the living room and downstairs bathroom, then took her upstairs to her room.

"Here's the spare room. There's a bed- the apartment came half furnished- but it's a little cluttered." Claudia quickly moved her stuff off the bare mattress, slightly embarrassed, and shoved the stuff into the hall closet.

"Don't worry about sheets," Dot said, then, at toon speeds, pulled out sheets, a blanket, and a pillow, and made the bed. She left Claudia in shock.

"Never seen a toon in action outside of my TV," She finally said, slightly bewildered.

"Some girls got it, some girls don't," Dot remarked. Claudia laughed and showed Dot the bathroom across the hall, which was the only one with a shower.

"That's about it! Make yourself at home, and just holler if ya need me!" Claudia said, turning to look at Dot.

"Again, thank you so much for letting me stay." Dot said, feeling really greatful for Claudia's generosity.

"It's no problem!" Claudia said, then walked off to her room. Dot walked back to hers and sat down.

_I wonder if they need help at Claudia's workplace. It sounds like something I could do._

After Dot finished unpacking, she went downstairs to see Claudia, in pajamas, sitting at the kitchen table sipping tea and reading a novel.

"Hey, Claudia?" Dot asked nervously. Claudia looked up. "Do you need help at The Magic Closet?"

"Yeah, we always need more people..." She said, not getting Dot's question at first. Then she got it. "Wait a second. You want to work there?"

"Well, yeah!" Dot said, sitting down at the table across from her. "It sounds like fun. And I did come here hoping to find some work. To find something I'm good at. And helping people pick out outfits for nice events sounds like something I'd be good at."

"That'd be great!" Claudia exclaimed, laughing. "Aw, Ms. Maddie we'll be so happy to hear I've found another worker! She's been going on about how, because schools are starting in a few weeks, homecoming's soon and we'll need more people."

Something else seemed to have struck Claudia. "I've got a roomie!"

"...Huh?" Dot ask, confused by Claudia's seemly sudden exclamation.

"You could be my roommate! We'll share all the fee's, which will give us more money into our paychecks, and you still need a place to live, don't you? And, like you pointed out earlier, the commute's great!"

Dot could feel hope rising in her chest. She'd found a job, a place to stay, and a friend. _I knew this was the right place to go! _

Dot nodded and smiled. _Things are looking up!_

They hung out together for the rest of the night. Claudia told her funny stories about weird clients she'd had in the past. Claudia, being a fan of Dot's old show, wanted to know some behind-the-scenes stuff, and Dot reluctently told her. It wasn't like she didn't _want_ to tell her, but bringing up her brother's was hard. She swallowed down the homesickness, though, and Claudia didn't seem to notice anything.

"I'm going to head up to bed," Dot said to Claudia, who was waiting for the news to come on. "When do I have to get up in the morning?"

"We don't have anyone coming in, so as long as it isn't the middle of the afternoon, any time's fine."

_Good thing I'm not Wakko. _"I'll be good then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight!"

Dot crawled into bed, happier than she'd felt in days.

* * *

_For those of you wondering, I did make up The Magic Closet and most of it's details, basing it off charities that already exsist. The one's I've heard of, however, only do homecomings and proms (American high school dances, for you non-American folks who might be confused). Found out about one through choir class at school, and felt like using the idea in this story. :) Anywho, see ya'll next week! _


	8. The Magic Closet

_Chapter 8! Suddenly, slightly longer chapter! XD And another OC, though more minor than Claudia. And I based her off of a family friend. You'll see in a second. ;D Again, thank you all so much for your support! It means a lot! :)_

**I'm running out of witty ways of writing the disclaimer. XD **

* * *

Dot found herself back in Burbank, right outside the movie lot. _What the heck am I doing here?_ She walked into the lot, expecting to get stopped by Ralph, but he wasn't there.

_Strange. Ralph may be an oaf, but he follows orders, and Plotz always tells him to never leave the guard box. Well, unless we're out of the tower and Plotz want's us back in. _

The place looked abandoned. Nobody was around, and things were just lying there, as though everyone just dropped what they were doing and left.

"Hello!" Dot called. No answer but her own echo. She wandered into the administration building. No one was at the reception desk, so she got on the exact same elevator Wakko and Scratchy got stuck in all those years ago (the security camera footage had made a great skit for the show).

She rode it up to Plotz's office, only to find it in the same state as it was outside. In fact, there were some papers that he never finished sighing. The top paper only had the word "Thaddeus" on it; he didn't even sign his last name. _Weird. Plotz _never_ leaves his work unfinished._

Dot was growing concerned. _Where did everyone go?_ She left the office and made her way to the water tower, then went inside.

Wakko's computer was still there, still on and in the middle of a song. The TV was also still on. She walked through the house, calling her brother's names.

"Yakko! Wakko! Come out, you guys!" She felt her breathing getting heavy, and tears were creeping up in the corners of her eyes.

She walked into the kitchen, where some of Yakko's homework was lying there, unfinished. _What happened?_

Dot saw a note, left in the exact same place she'd put the note she'd left for her brothers when she left. _Has it only been a few days? _

Nervously, she picked it up:

Dot-

You left us. How could you leave us? You meant the world to us! We're your family, and you left us behind! So, we're leaving you. Like you left us. Don't bother looking.

-Yakko and Wakko

Dot felt tears start streaming down her cheeks.

"I never wanted this!" She cried. "YAKKO! WAKKO!"

"You left us."

"Wha?" Dot had heard a voice.

"Dot, how could you leave me?"

"Y-y-Yakko?"

"You left us all alone."

"Wakko! I-I'm sorry!"

"It's too late for that!" They both yelled at once, and Dot felt herself collapse onto the kitchen floor.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Yakko, Wakko, forgive me! I'm so sorry..." She was sobbing uncontrollably now. She kept expecting the strong, safe arms of her brother's to hug her, to make everything better. But, they never came, making Dot sob harder. _Why? Why is this happening?_

* * *

Dot jolted awake, and felt that her eyes were damp. She was still breathing heavily. _Is this how Yakko felt over a year ago? Scared of sleep and its terrors?_ She tried to focus on the positives-she was starting her job today!-but it was hard after that nightmare. She got up and went downstairs.

"Hey, Angelina!" Claudia called when Dot walked into the kitchen. It took Dot a couple seconds to react, as she had just gotten up, and had momentaraly forgotten she'd decited to use Angelina now. "How'da sleep?"

_What does Yakko call it? "Twisting your words"? I'll do that. _"Fine!" Dot said, slightly forced, but Claudia didn't notice.

"Good! So, what do you want for breakfast?"

"What do you have?"

"Well, I have a waffle maker-"

"Say no more!" Dot said, making her way over to it, while Claudia laughed. Throwing some chocolate chips in the batter for taste, Dot happily made breakfast. It wavered slightly when her thoughts turned to Wakko and his love of waffles, and food in general, but she ignored it.

_Today is important. I can't spend it homesick or wallowing in regret. _

After breakfast, they got ready and went downstairs. Dot felt her stomach turn with each step down. They walked out of the side door and were next to The Magic Closet when Dot stopped short.

"Nervous?" Claudia asked, knowing the answer. Dot just nodded, and tried to keep her breakfast down.

This was completely different from what she'd done before. Acting came natural to her; she was a toon after all. She'd never gotten nervous when filming, but this was a whole new world. _How am I going to do this?_

Claudia smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. It'll be fun, and you'll be good at it. I'm sure of it." Dot nodded, determined now, and walked in after Claudia.

Dot's eyes widened as she walked into the store. Dresses lined one side of the room, men's ware on the other, though the dresses outnumbered the suits. The back held shoes and accessories. She immediately went over and started admiring the dresses.

"I'm going to find Ms. Maddie," Claudia said, but the words were lost on Dot. There were so many dresses of so many sizes and styles, some in, some out. Dot felt herself getting overwhelmed. _How am I going to keep all these dresses straight? _

"Angelina, come here!" It, again, took Dot a second to react to her given name.

"Coming!" She called back, and ran to the back of the store, where the hallway stopped. Two doors were on either side. The door on the left had lettering on it, spelling out "Storage Room." Dot figured that's we're they kept unorganized donations. The right had the letters "Ms. Maddie Watkins, Owner." Dot took a deep breath and walked inside.

Claudia was standing there, chatting to the woman sitting at the desk. She was in her late 30's, her brown hair in a pixie cut, and colorful rectangular shaped glasses sat on her nose. She wore bright colors that would only look good on her.

Her office was also colorful. Artwork from kids she'd helped, from kindergarten scribbles to high school level paintings, lined her wall, all framed. Pictures in crazy, colorful frames lined her desk, and some shelves. Awards and certificates of appreciation from different organizations also lined the shelves. Funny trinkets and doo-dads covered her desk, and Dot could see her multi-colored stationary, with letters waiting to be written.

Ms. Maddie's head turned when she heard Dot come in. Her entire face brightened and her smile seemed to take up her entire face.

"You must be Angelina!" She exclaimed. Dot could only nod. _Geese, if all those dresses overwhelmed me, how am I going to handle her? _She saw Claudia attempting to hide snickers as she watched Dot's face, which was probably entertaining. Ms. Maddie didn't seem to notice, however.

"I was all a flutter when Claudia said she'd found another hard worker!" _I feel like I'm five._ In any other scenario, she would have started deadpanning, getting snarky and sarcastic at this lady's over-the-top excitement. But, she had a job on the line here, and said other scenarios would involve Yakko and Wakko. The thought of her brothers made her guilty again and she started going back to the nightmare, but she pushed both thoughts from her mind.

Dot smiled. "Well, I'm ready to do whatever you need me too!"

Apparently, it was possible for Ms. Maddie's smile to get even bigger. "Great! Now, I can already tell this of course, but Claudia tells me you're an old cartoon star, right?"

Dot, not wanting to get into that part of her life, due to her B-R-O-T-H-E-R-S, just nodded and smiled.

"Wowwie!" Dot almost laughed in disbelief at this word. "That must have been such fun! But, that's not what we're here to talk about, right?" She ended with a wink.

This was becoming too much for Claudia, who had to excuse herself and left the room. _She's probably laughing herself to death._

"So, what interests you?" Ms. Maddie asked, leaning in closer.

"Well, what Claudia does sound's interesting."

"Oh, so you want to be a hostess?" Dot's face must have conveyed her questioning thoughts, because Ms. Maddie continued. "That's what we call people who help customers find dresses. Of course, we call the boys 'hosts', but same diff." Dot nodded eagerly.

"Great! You're hired! Claudia can help show you how it's done!"

* * *

_Just in case, I'm gonna explain that throwaway line that Dot thinks after her nightmare. Yakko's mental disorder from __Break Down__ caused nightmares. Yay, explanations! I do love writing nightmares, for some odd, twisted reason...  
__In other news, I'm working on a new fic! It's still a work in progress, but I'm starting to take some ownership in it, which means it's proabably going to get finished. It's Wakko-centric, and little on the darker side. Still rated "T", though, as I'm not that crazy! XD Not annoucing the title, as I'm questioning my current one, but if I have anything to say about it's progress, you know where I'll put it (Hint; right here in the endnotes). See you all next week! :D_


	9. Work and Clients

_Chapter 9! Wow, on my last story, this was the last chapter. O.O Don't worry, we've still got a lot more story to go! Sorry if this chapter's a bit on the slow and long side, but I wanted to show more of what Dot and Claudia were doing in the store. And, I'm sorry if having character's call Dot "Angelina" while I refer to her as Dot in narration is confusing. It made sense to me! XD _

**My OC's are safe from the scary laywer men! FTW!**

* * *

"I didn't think I'd be hired that quickly," Dot muttered to herself as she and Claudia carried in boxes of donations.

"Ms. Maddie's not very strict when it comes to employees. She's probably checking up your criminal background right now, but you should be fine," Claudia said this with a tone of certainty, but her eyebrows rose in an unspoken question. Dot remembered she'd watched _Animaniacs_ before.

Dot laughed. "Don't worry. I should come up clean." Claudia laughed in response, and opened the boxes.

"Okay, these look like dresses," She said peering into the boxes. "We're going to take them out and lay them on the floor. That way we'll get a good look at them and see what kind they are." Claudia pulled out the dress on top and set it down on the floor, spreading it out.

"See, this one's long, but it's a semiformal style. Normally, we'd also check to see if it's washed, but these we're collected by a church that donates often, and they always wash the donations they get."

"Now, here comes a somewhat hard part. Is it in style? We have to make sure that people will actually where it. I've lost track of how many 80's bridesmaid dresses we've received. And, trust me here Angelina, none of them look good." Dot laughed, trying to imagine the different array of dresses.

"So, what do you think?" Claudia turned toward Dot, her head cocked to the side in question. Dot moved closer to get a better look at the dress. It was rather pretty; it was a light blue sundress, with a butterfly print down the side, and spaghetti strap sleeves.

"I'd wear it." Dot remarked.

Claudia smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"So, what do we do with the dresses we don't think look good?"

"If it's in good shape, Goodwill. If not, the trash."

"Anyway," Claudia continues on. "Now we see the size. Luckily, the tags still intact on this one. If it's not, we have to try it on and take our best guess. It's a 5, so it's a junior's semiformal long gown."

"I'm getting a little confused," Dot admitted.

"Don't worry, you'll catch on quickly" Claudia reassured, and they continued on, opening new boxes as they came in. They made piles of dresses, the first two being keep or not keep. Then, they went through the keep pile, separating by clean and dirty. The clean pile went into piles depending on size and style. The don't keep pile went into Goodwill and trash piles.

After throwing away the trash pile, they headed out with the other two bags while some other employee's took care of the clean ones.

"Goodwill's just around the corner, and the Laundromat's not very far either, it's just in the opposite direction." Claudia explained the wash bag over her quickly dropped the Goodwill bag to a rather bored attendant, and then Dot sat and watched as Claudia did the washing while explaining that, once a week, they should bring their personal laundry along with the dresses and do both at the same time.

"The apartment's pretty sweet, but one big thing it lacks is a washer and dryer hook up." Claudia explained, annoyance creeping into her voice.

Dot would spend the next two weeks falling into this routine of sorting and hanging dresses, taking the dirty one's to either the Laundromat or the dry cleaners, and the rejects to Goodwill. She learned that Ms. Maddie usually did the executive decisions and spend most of her day either setting up appointments, doing paperwork and taxes, and spent her free time helping around the store. Molly was the receptionist, Danny was the accountant, and Mr. Rob, Ms. Maddie's husband, was the repair man, whenever he wasn't working at an apartment he was the landlord of. She got used to small group of paid employees, most of who were in their 20's to early 30's, who worked almost every day. Some could only come in on certain days or hours, due to school. The group of volunteers who came in Friday evenings and weekends changed constantly. Some were in high school, working for community service requirements. Others were old, retired people either giving back to the community or trying to avoid boredom.

Every night, Dot went to bed exhausted, but happy. She was really enjoying working and Claudia was becoming a great friend. Her days were busy, and the work, and workers, were fun.

The homesickness and the nagging voice telling her to "Think of your brothers!" only came at night, as Dot was falling asleep. Nightmares were an almost nightly occurrence, but choose to ignore them. She was happy while she was awake, and they didn't bug her that much. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

"Gather round! Gather round !" Ms. Maddie started calling one day. Dot looked over from the racks to see Ms. Maddie, dressed eccentrically as always, holding a clip board with her trademark big smile. Dot hung the last dress and walked over with the other employees.

"Now, this is Thursday, and I always give ya'll a two-day notice before clients come!" This sentence starts excited chatter among the employees, except for Dot.

_ My first client day! Oh, crap! I don't know what to do! What if I mess up! I've been doing so well so far, could I really mess up now?_

"Now, just a quick reminder that you're to wear your Magic Closet t-shirts, and a pair of nice jeans. No holes that go to the floor from your knees! No pants that sag too low! You need to look professional! Hair needs to be nicely groomed, and girls, and some of you guys, with long hair need to pull it back somehow. And, no crazy make-up or body piercing, or whatever the kids think is cool these days!"

"What exactly is this for?" A girl, who Dot thinks might be named Tara, asks.

"A wedding." Ms. Maddie says, causing some gasps from the group. "Now, don't worry; the bride, groom, and the wedding party are taken care of. But, these are close family and friends of the bride and groom who aren't in the wedding and need our services. Both men and women will be here, so will need host's and hostess's. Now, back to work!" She says the last sentence snapping her fingers and everyone quickly goes back to whatever they were doing before

"Ms. Maddie?" Dot approaches quietly.

"Yes, Angelina?" She asks, the perkiness leaking from her voice. Dot had slowly but surely gotten used to it, but it's still a tad annoying at times.

"I don't have a Magic Closet t-shirt."

"Oh, duh!" She exclaims while giving herself a face palm, causing Dot to giggle a little. "I completely forgot you were new! You've gotten so good at this so quickly, I forgot you've only been here two weeks!" The comment catches Dot off-guard, and she quietly mutters a thank you.

_Am I really that good? I guess the full answer to that question will come on Saturday._

Ms. Maddie comes back, slightly nervous-looking. "I got the smallest size we have," She says, holding us the way too big for Dot t-shirt. Dot quickly grabs it, pulls a sewing machine out of her pockets and quickly gets to work on it.

"Ta dah!" Dot said proudly, now holding a perfectly sized t-shirt. Ms. Maddie stood there, speechless for once. Then, she started laughing.

"I keep forgetting you're a toon! Now, don't take that the wrong way," She says with a wink. "You just don't do toonish things often!"

"I completely understand," Dot said, forgiving. And she was right. She hadn't done too many toonish things, because she didn't need to. She could do everything on with her own abilities. _Is it because I'm simply good at this? Or, am I subconsciously trying to distance myself from my old life?_

"Hey, Angelia!" Dot was snapped out of her thoughts by Claudia. "Welcome back from La La Land. Now, you still a have a few more dresses to hang up, then its laundry day for us."

Dot smiled sheepishly, then went back to work. She was soon becoming more nervous about the upcoming clients. As she and Claudia walked to the Laundromat, Dot expressed her fears.

"Don't worry. I'll help you. Once you get into the grove of things, it's easy."

"Like just about everything else associated with this job?"

"Yeah, pretty much!" Claudia says with a laugh.

Despite Claudia's encouraging words, Dot went to bed Friday night scared out of her wits. Luckily, the nerves over her first clients seemed to ward off the nightmares.

"Angelina! Wake up!"

Dot groggily opened her eyes and saw Claudia, her wet hair put up in a towel, standing over her. She looked to the alarm clock, then frowned.

"Claudia, its 6:20 in the morning! Why are you waking me up! The apartment better be on fire or something..."

"Did I forget to tell you?" Claudia said, face palming herself. "We have to been in a 7 AM on client days."

"Yeah, that would have been nice to know," Dot grumbled, mad that her cutie sleep had been abruptly ended. She got up with a sigh, and Claudia left to go finish getting herself ready.

Dot put on her t-shirt and a pair of jeans. She got ready and ate breakfast quietly. Claudia looked nervous, and slightly upset.

"I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you about getting up early, Angelina," Dot looked up from her breakfast. "It just completely slipped my mind."

"It's cool. I'm just not the much of a morning person, especially when someone else wakes me up," Dot laughs. "I remember one morning Yakko tried to wake me up and I smashed him with a mallet so hard that I woke up Wakko. _That_ was an eventful morning; none of us Warner's are morning people. And, don't get me started on how early we had to get up to go film." Claudia was laughing and Dot actually didn't feel homesick.

_Am I actually getting used to being away from home?_

They walked into the store to see Ms. Maddie and some of the other employees already working. Claudia and Dot quickly jumped into help out. The group wasn't coming until one, so Dot was confused as to why they were here early in the morning, but there were lots to do. Claudia gave Dot some tips while they worked. They worked all the way until 12:15, when a sandwich shop down the block brought them lunch.

The clients came in exactly at one, and they got to work quickly. Dot's first client was a cousin of the bride who was 16. Remembering what Claudia had told her that morning, she listened to what the girl wanted, then went through the racks. After a couple of misses, a long, sea green gown turned out to be perfect. Ms. Maddie sent her an encouraging wink as the girl squealed at her reflection.

_I'm doing it! I'm actually doing it! This is really fun! _

Client after client went by in a whirlwind of hours that passed like minutes. It seemed like too soon the group was leaving, everyone happy with what they had got. The entire crew sat down, exhausted but proud of their work. Dot got some hive fives for successfully completing her first client day.

"So, how'cha do?" Claudia asked. Dot grinned back, too tired to talk.

They also had clients the next two Saturday's, bringing up Dot's time in Atlanta up to a month. After the third client Saturday in a row had ended, Ms. Maddie gathered everyone up.

"Great job everyone!" She exclaimed, and applause followed. "You guys have been the busiest bees! So, I'm gonna give you guys a little treat!

"First, we're going down the street to dinner, and it's on me!" Whoops of joy and "thank you's" followed. "_And_, I'm giving you tomorrow off!" Even more excitement followed that statement, and, energized by the positive feedback from Ms. Maddie and the promise of free food, clean up took no time at all.

Later on, Dot and Claudia walked back to the apartment, bellies full and cheeks hurting from laughing. As soon as they entered the hall, however, it was like someone let the air out of a balloon. Giving weak, tired goodnights, Dot showered quickly and went to bed, feeling very happy with how her life was going.

* * *

_Again, really sorry if it seemed slow and long, but this is actually a breather chapter. ;) Yep, things start getting crazy next chapter! Also, this chapter is where I had that over a month long writer's block, so that might explain some of the slowness and not as good writing. Hope I still have my readers and that the next chapter's better! See ya next week! :)_


	10. Truth

_Chapter 10! This is now my longest story! :D Remember how I said last chapter that it was a (abet long) breather chapter? And, how I said that things get crazy this chapter? Yeah, this starts out with a nightmare, possibly my darkest yet. (What's with my obsession with writing nightmares? XD) Anywho, enjoy! :)_

**If you sue me, I'll write a nightmare for you that's so bad, you'll run to your mom. So, go read that disclaimer on chapter 1 and keep your lawsuits to yourself!**

* * *

Darkness. That's all Dot saw, and it left her unsettled. She felt like she was floating, yet like she was sitting on something. She couldn't tell, however. She couldn't even see the glove in front of her face, even though they usually almost glowed in the dark.

Suddenly, chaotic noises filled her ears, breaking the eerie silence that Dot had started in. She couldn't make out what was what, but some of the stuff sounded like Wakko's music, and some sounded unsettlingly like tortured screams.

Her eyes began adjusting to the light, though the discourteous music still filled her ears. She soon realized that she was on her bunk back at the water tower, and what she could see was starting to match the noise that still wouldn't leave her ears.

Everything laid in pieces. Debris littered the floor, and there was questionable liquid in a small puddle by the door. Dot suddenly realized that the tri-level bunk bed she was sitting on was swaying dangerously. She just managed to jump off before the whole thing collapsed. She quickly started picking through the remains, before realizing neither Yakko nor Wakko had been on the bed.

"Yakko, Wakko?" She called out, trying to block the chaos in her ears that was coming from who-knows-where. She approached the puddle, and carefully dipped a shaking finger into it. It didn't burn on contact, eliminating DIP as a possibility, so she slowly lifted it up to her face.

Even in the muted colors of darkness, Dot could clearly make out the bright, red color of blood.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed, shaking her gloved had wildly in a mad attempt to get the blood off. While some excess did come off, the red color easily stained the bright, white surface of the glove.

"Yakko! Wakko!" Dot screamed again, more scared for her brothers now. _If they're not okay...I never got to talk to them again..._

"DOT!" Yakko's frantic scream broke the chaotic music in Dot's ears as she turned toward the sound. Soon, Wakko's screams of her name joined Yakko's, and Dot started running.

"I'm coming Yakko, Wakko! I'm coming!"

She sprinted into the kitchen, and Yakko and Wakko's voiced stopped suddenly. After all the noise, the silence was even more unsettling.

"Yakko...Wakko..." Dot tentatively called out as she entered the living room. Almost immediately, she was on her hands and knees, gaging at the overwhelming smell of blood.

_W-w-what happened?_

Dot was too scared to look up at first, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly lifted her head. The scene made her gasp.

"NO!"

* * *

"Angelina! Dot! DOT!"

Dot woke up with a start, gasping for breath. It was dark, which scared her at first. Then, she felt the presents of someone next to her.

"Yakko?" Dot asked hopefully, still dazed from her nightmare.

"Sorry, Angelina," Claudia said as she turned on the lamp, blinding Dot for a second. "It's me."

Dot looked down, slightly embarrassed. She snuck a look at the alarm clock.

_3:15 AM!_

"Claudia, I'm so sorry for waking you!" Dot exclaimed, but Claudia just smiled, running her hands through her bedhead.

"It's fine. I was worried there for a second. I had to call you 'Dot' to finally wake you," Claudia admitted. _So, that's why I thought she was Yakko at first..._

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No." Dot said quickly, echoing Yakko from over a year ago.

"Okay..." Claudia said, and Dot had another bout of deja vue. Claudia had given her a look that read "I'm not going to let this go." She had a feeling it was similar to the one she'd given Yakko when he'd woken up her and Wakko with his nightmares, then refused to talk about them.

"Sleep better," Claudia said as she left.

"I'll try," Dot replied. "Thanks."

"No prob."

Later that morning, Dot woke up and walked into the kitchen. Claudia was already up, wearing casual clothes, drinking a mug of coffee, and watching some morning news program that was currently talking about some big blunder yet another celebrity had made. Her head turned when she heard Dot enter the room.

"Good, you're up," She said in a voice that put Dot on edge. "We need to talk about last night."

_Geeze, I was never _this_ pushy about Yakko's nightmares!_

Dot sat on the couch without protesting, however. Claudia turned off the TV and set down her coffee.

"That wasn't your first nightmare. You've woken me up before-" Dot quickly looked down in embarrassment. "But, you always seemed to calm down once I opened the door. Last night, however, seemed worse than normal, thus me waking you up."

"It was worse," Dot admitted.

"Something else was different." Dot looked up at Claudia. "You normally just gasp and scream some. But, this time, you were calling out Yakko and Wakko's names." Dot's eyes widened. She hadn't realized she was doing _that_.

"You told me everything was fine between you and your brothers when we met. After what happened last night, plus the fact you never seem to call or write them, makes me think something's up.

"Dot," Dot jumped at Claudia using her nickname. She still reacted to "Dot", but it was weird hearing Claudia use it. "What's going on? You can trust me, right?"

Dot nodded, then it was like the floodgates opened. Dot told Claudia everything, from her insecurities, to the fight with Yakko, to her leaving, and the journey she took to get to Atlanta.

Claudia was left speechless at first. "You _ran away_?" She finally asked when she regained her voice. Dot just nodded. Claudia sighed, then seemed to think some, and then turned the TV back on, which seemed to signal the end of that conversation.

Claudia wasn't done, however. At around two o'clock, Claudia looked at the clock, and nodded.

"That should be late enough..." She muttered. She suddenly turned to Dot.

"Come here." Her voice left no room for protest, so Dot followed her out of the apartment. Instead of turning right, to head to the staircase to street level, Claudia turned left, and Dot followed, wondering where this lead. Soon, they reached a small stairwell, and climbed up it. Dot looked out the window in the door at the top of the stairs, and saw that they were on the roof.

"I like to go up here to think," Claudia says, winking, as she tosses Dot her cell phone. Dot looked at the phone, then gave Claudia a questioning look.

"Call your brothers," She explained. Dot looked at the phone. She was nervous, but this might be the key to ending the nightmares. And, really, she missed her brothers. A lot.

"Okay," Dot said with finality, and started to walk out the door.

"The door locks behind you, so I'll have to wait here to let you back in until you're done talking, but, I promise, I'll give you privacy." Claudia knocked lightly on the metal door a few times. "This baby's sound proof."

Dot smiled, then fully walked onto the roof. She walked a bit closer to the edge, then sat down. She started at the phones small screen for a second, then unlocked its keyboard, and dialed.


	11. The Phone Call

_Chapter 11! Sorry it's so much later in the day than normal! I had a HUGE choir concert today, so I had to get up super early, and I just now got home! XD A__nother switch of perspective here! We're now in a third person omniscient with the Warner sibs. Yes, all three Warner sibs! How have Yakko and Wakko been doing in this past month? Read to find out! _

**Admit it; you're enjoying this story too much to sue me. ;)**

* * *

Wakko sat home alone, flipping through TV channels for the 5th time in a row. The clock on the wall said it was about 10:05 AM. Yakko class ended five minutes ago, but he told Wakko he'd be later than normal, as he was going to the store after class. Thus, Wakko was alone. It was a weird sensation, being home alone, but he got used to it.

He had never been home alone much before, but that had changed in the month that had passed sense Dot left. He and Yakko had returned to some sense of normalcy, but it wasn't the same without their sister sibling. The police hadn't had any luck finding her, though they believed that she was still alive; she was just covering her tracks very well.

While Yakko would be overjoyed if Dot were to suddenly come home, Wakko would give her a piece of his mind first. He was angry at her leaving; angry about all the worry, the stress, and the fact that she didn't seem to care about her brothers or what happened to them after she left. If she really was okay, why didn't she write or call or something?

Dot's lack of correspondence was also worrying. Wakko might be mad at Dot, but there was a part of him that was really concered for his sister's safety. Mainly, he just wanted to know where the heck she was.

At about 10:10, the phone rang. "I'll get it!" He called out of force of habit, even though there was no one to fight over the phone with. _I finally get to get it! _He looked at the caller ID, and didn't recognize the number. Not wanting to miss the chance to mess with some telemarketers, he picked up the phone with a big "Hellooooo nurse!"

He was met with some very familiar giggling on the other end of the line.

_No way. It can't be..._

"Looks like I was never truly able to get you and Yakko to stop saying that when you picked up the phone," Dot said. She waited on pins and needles for Wakko's reply, as he seemed to have gone silent with shock.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" Dot nearly dropped the phone, she was caught so off-guard by Wakko's sudden yelling.

"Wakko, I'm in Atlanta, Georgia! I'm-" Dot sputtered out, near to tears.

"Don't you _dare_ apologize!" Wakko snapped, cutting her off. A small part of him was overjoyed at _finally_ getting word from Dot, and wanted to stop yelling. But, the angry part of him was stronger. "How could you just leave us? With nothing more than a small, ambiguous note that didn't even say where you were going!" He could hear Dot's attempts to interrupt him, but Wakko was on a roll. He was desperate to get this out.

"How could one fight equal you running off? And, then you don't contact us for a month! Do you realize how upset and worried Yakko and I where?

"And, speaking of Yakko, do you _even_ realize what an impact you leaving had on him? He barely left his room for a week after you left! I didn't even realize that Yakko could get that upset!

"And, not even an hour after we found your note, Yakko stared blanking again!" These words have the effect on Dot that Wakko was hoping for; she burst into tears. However, he soon regretted it.

Dot, who had been silently crying while Wakko yelled at her, was full out sobbing at his last sentence. _How could I have not seen that coming? How could I have forgotten about that?_ Claudia had made a move to go onto the roof to comfort Dot, but she shooed her away. She needed to do this on her own.

_I deserve every word. Wakko has all the right in the world to be mad at me. _She was so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed that Wakko was crying too, calling her name in an attempt to talk to her again.

"W-Wakko?" Dot asked.

"Y-yeah?" He replied, stuttering slightly due to tears.

"I'm sorry." Dot said "For everything."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled."

"I kinda deserved it. For what I put you and Yakko through. I had no idea that would happen."

"You didn't deserve it." Wakko said, wishing that he could take back every word. _Stupid! You finally hear from your missing sister, and you YELL at her? _"I'm a terrible brother."

"No, you're not!" Dot exclaimed.

"Yeah, I am. Yakko wouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"You're not a terrible brother, and I forgive you for yelling," Dot reassured her brother, wiping tears from her eyes. Across the country, Wakko did the same thing.

"I forgive you too." Wakko said, and both siblings smiled without the other seeing.

"How's Yakko?" Dot asked after a few minutes of easy silence. Wakko's outburst had made her worried and nervous.

"Don't worry; he's fine. Well, he's back on the medication, but we caught it early enough to prevent anything worse than blanks..."

"Good," Dot said, somewhat awkwardly, as it had kinda been her fault. "Where is he?"

"Shopping, probably," Wakko replied. "He should be home soon."

At that moment, Yakko walked through the water tower door, dropping his backpack to the floor while balancing a large bag of food.

"Wakko, I'm home!" He called out.

"Oh, speak of the devil." He heard Wakko say to someone. Yakko walked into the kitchen area to see Wakko on the phone.

Wakko masked his face into an apathetic one, to surprise Yakko. Yakko raised an eyebrow.

"Who's on the phone?" Yakko asked, getting a feeling in his gut that this was about Dot. A weird mix of fear and hope grew in his chest.

"See for yourself," Wakko said, still keeping his emotions in check as he handed Yakko the phone.

"Hello?" Yakko asked.

"What? No 'Hello Nurse'?" Dot asked, teasingly.

Yakko nearly dropped the phone, while Wakko watched, waiting for his older brothers reaction to hearing his sister's voice for the first time in a month.

"Dot?" Yakko finally asked, his voice full of disbelief.

"Hi, Yakko." Dot replied.

Yakko dropped to floor, sobbing.

"Yakko? Yakko!" Dot exclaimed into the phone, while Wakko tried to comfort his brother in person.

"Dot," Yakko said, shaking slightly as he stood back up, leaning on Wakko lightly for support. "You have _no_ idea how glad I am to hear your voice."

"I kinda have an idea."

"Are you okay? Where are you?"

"Yes I'm fine, and Atlanta, Georgia."

"Why Atlanta?"

"I'm not all that sure. But, I'm pretty happy here. I've found work, and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, sister sibling. Here, let me put you on speaker. I wanna let Wakko be a part of this conversation."

"Good idea," Dot said as she heard the sound of a soft beep, then Wakko chorused a "Faboo!" to let Dot know that he was on the line.

"Okay, now, tell us about what you've been up to this last month."

So Dot did, sharing funny stories of Claudia and work while giving information. Yakko and Wakko caught Dot up with what was going on back home; Yakko reassured Dot that he was doing fine, and told her that his movie review blog had reached over a million hits. Wakko had summited a demo to a contest, and first prize was a small record deal.

"It's nothing major, but..." Wakko was saying.

"Wakko, that's great! I hope you win!"

"Ahhh...I guess we should let the police know that they no longer need to have a missing persons report of you, huh?" Yakko admitted awkwardly.

"You filed a missing persons report?" Dot asked.

"Well, Scratchy filed it for us. We need to let him know that you're okay, too."

"Yakko, did you tell everyone that I left?" Dot asked, teasing him slightly.

"You mean that I shouldn't have called CNN, FOX, and CBS?" Yakko asked, but the sarcasm was evident in his voice.

"So, when are you coming back?" Wakko asked. Dot tensed, and she heard Yakko shush him. _I wasn't expecting that question. To be honest, I really should have expected it._

"I'm not sure. I mean, school's just started down here, and that means homecoming's coming up. The shop gets really busy around this time of year, and I don't want to leave Ms. Maddie one worker short right before the big rush. Not to mention, we have the big session were we have most of the girls we help come at once."

"When's that?" Yakko asked.

"About a month from now."

"I understand Dot. But, how about after that? Not to put pressure on you or anything..." Yakko added quickly.

"I'm not really sure... I'll think about it." Dot said with finality.

"Okay," Yakko said. Not quite the answer he or Wakko was hoping for, but they didn't want to push Dot away.

"Hey, Dot, do you think your roommate, Claudia, would be okay with you giving us your guy's address?" Wakko asked to break the silence that had occurred. "I'd like to write you."

"Yeah, and I'd like to see some pics of your roommate!" Yakko said, and Dot could hear his hidden motives behind the innocent question.

"Yakko!" Dot said, while Wakko laughed and Yakko gave a "Goodnight, everybody!"

"To answer your question, Wakko, I don't think she'd mind, and it's better than calling. I don't want to waste the minutes on her phone." Dot gave them the address, while Yakko copied it down.

"Well..." Dot said, not wanting to hang up. Wakko and Yakko's sighs said that they didn't want to either.

"We'll get a letter from you soon?" Yakko asked.

"Yep," Dot replied. "Very soon."

"Good." Wakko replied.

"Goodbye," All three of the Warner siblings said together, then laughed slightly at the weirdness of what had just happened.

"Three," Dot said, hoping that her brothers would catch on.

"Two," Yakko said, showing that he understood.

"One," Wakko did too. They hung up together.

In Burbank, the two Warner brothers hugged each other, silent tears running down their faces.

"She's okay, Wakko," Yakko said, attempting to comfort his brother.

"I-I yelled at her. When I first p-picked up."

"Did you apologize?" Wakko nodded.

"Then everything's fine. She's okay, and we'll hear from her soon."

Over in Georgia, Claudia was comforting a sobbing Dot.

"What about the door?" Dot had asked once she had regained her voice.

"My shoe's propping it open." Claudia said, chuckling slightly.

"Is everything okay? You had me worried earlier." Claudia continued.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Dot said, rubbing her eyes. "I have my brothers back."

* * *

_Yay, sibling fluff! I love it. :) Now that you've read it, I can freely tell you that this is my favorite chapter! :D That's because once I realized that this was a good story and that I'd most likely publish it, this was the first chapter that popped into my head, begging to be written. So, I really hoped that you liked it! You can click that review button and let me know! See you peoples next week, and I'm sorry this was later than normal! But, hey, at least it's still Saturday, so I'm still on time! ;D_


	12. Preperations

_Chapter 12! This is another breather-type chapter, so sorry in advance if it's sorta boring! XD Only two more chapters left! :O _

**I'm sure you could find it if you put in some effort.**

* * *

Dot stood on a ladder, attempting to put up streamers. In a couple of days, the shop would be having their big homecoming event, were bunches of high school kids would come to get their dresses and suits for homecoming. Thus, the shop was getting some extra decoration for the event.

Dot put up the last of the streamers and jumped off the ladder with a light amount of flourish.

"Great job, Dot!" Ms. Maddie said as she came around, clipboard clutched tightly in hand. Dot had started going by her nickname soon after her phone call with her brothers, and liked it a lot better than before. She just wasn't used to reacting to Angelina.

Ms. Maddie crossed off something on her to-do list that was attached to aforementioned clipboard. "You seem a lot happier lately," Ms. Maddie said suddenly, studying Dot's face.

"Things have just been going really well for me lately." And that was true. Almost a month had passed sense Dot had gotten back in touch with her brothers, and she had gotten happier sense. It helped that she was getting letters from them every other day. The days she wasn't getting letters, she was writing them.

A near constant stream, save Sunday's, of correspondence from Yakko and Wakko had been a huge uplift to her sprits, especially getting news from home. Claudia was getting in on the fun too. She'd been writing some, and in her first letter had included a picture of herself. Yakko's response was to write the words "HELLO NURSE!" all over a sheet of notebook paper. Claudia found it to be absolutely hilarious, opposite to Dot's distain, and she had tacked the paper to the bulletin board in her room.

Wakko had sent a CD of the songs for the contest he had entered, in which he'd just been named a semifinalist. Dot had never been to into techno music, but Claudia went nuts for it. It was mostly likely playing on her iPod, as Claudia was dancing slightly as she was sorting through some dresses.

Even Scratchy had been writing her some, as Yakko and Wakko had informed him of the phone conversation. They were mostly on a weekly basis and he mentioned that he was just checking up on her, as Yakko and Wakko had brought up some stories she'd written them in sessions. When she wrote them about this, her brother's swore they never said too terribly much.

"Great to hear!" Ms. Maddie was saying to Dot's earlier comment, which snapped her out of her train of thought. "Let's hope that positive energy keeps up to this Saturday! Now, why don't you go open another box of donations, and sort through them."

"Sure thing!" Dot replied. As she went through the box of dresses, most of them too out of style to be used on Saturday, she got more and more nervous. She'd handled short, afternoon sessions before, but this was an all-day event, with quite a few people coming in. The store was going to be packed, the pace was going to be fast, and they'd never had so many dresses before. Dot was afraid she was going to get lost in it all.

They'd spent this past week doing nothing but devoting their time to getting ready for Homecoming Saturday. Dot and Claudia had spent most of that past Sunday going through some last-minuet applications. Many people summited forms for kids they knew. It was mostly teachers and school administrators who sent applications, though they came across a couple of applications from parents. Most of their time, however, was spent sorting through donations and putting stuff not suitable for homecoming in storage. Claudia and Dot had spent lots of time at the Laundromat and dry cleaners.

It was now Friday, and that meant that the store had to look ready for the crowds of people who were going to show up. Cleaning, decorations, and last minuet sorting of dresses was the norm, as people ran through the store. They had a flux of volunteers, as this was one of their most popular events. As the sun set and the moon rose, things where finally finishing up. Ms. Maddie called everyone over.

"Great work everyone, whether you are working here for money or for service hours! Reminders: Get here early! Shop opens at eight, meaning I want you here at..." She trailed off, obviously wanting an answer.

"Seven!" The group chorused, not without some groans.

"Exactly! That means I want ya'll to go home and rest! Get some sleep! No parties, no all-night video game sessions, no whatever you crazy young people do when you should be sleeping! You don't have to bring a lunch, as we're being catered sandwiches at noon. We should be done at seven PM, so you're on your own for dinner after clean up. And, dress nice. Nothing to fancy, but we always look a little nicer on Homecoming Day. Anyone wearing casual stuff doesn't get paid, whether that is actual money or service hours! Speaking of service hours, if any of you high schoolers need me to sign forms for today, do that now. They rest of ya'll, go home, and SLEEP!"

Claudia and Dot said there goodbye's and climbed up the stairs to the apartment. Too tired to talk about the upcoming day, they exchanged silent goodnights, and went to bed.

Dot, however, still had some trouble falling asleep. The nightmare's had stopped when she started talking to her brothers again, but it was nerves keeping her up tonight. She looked at a picture of Wakko and Yakko that they had sent her with the letter exclaiming the exciting news that Yakko no longer need to be on his medication. They were grinning, arms around each other, their other arms raised in a frozen wave.

Dot reached out to touch the picture. She hadn't forgotten about her promise to think about moving back to California after Homecoming Day, but she'd been too busy to really think about it.

_Get through tomorrow. Then, you'll be able to give it the serious thought it needs. _Dot finally rolled over and went to sleep.

* * *

_Other story update: I've hit a nasty patch of writer's block, and my already busy summer's about to get busier with marching band kicking into full swing in a few weeks. So, I'm not so sure it'll get finished (again, why I wait to publish), but if it doesn't, I promise this won't be my last story! Again, thanks so much for all you're support, and I'll see you all next week!_


	13. Homecoming Day

_Chapter 13! Yay! :D Sorry it's so late; busy day. But, it's still Saturday in my part of the world, so I'm on time! ;) I'll admit, I completely rewrote this chapter on Thursday! XD I didn't like my original draft, it happens. Got a couple of surprises in this chapter. :) Curious? Read and find out! _

**I'll give you a hint: It's back at the beginning.**

* * *

Dot woke up with her stomach in knots. Today was a big day, no doubt about that, but she was scared. What if she screwed up? She had come so far, but today felt like a final exam. If she failed now, all that progress was for nothing, and she was back at square one.

Remembering Mrs. Maddie's request to dress up a little, Dot put on a purple sundress and headed downstairs, feeling more nervous with each step. Claudia stood in the kitchen making coffee in a dark blue top and black pants. Despite working in a dress store, Claudia liked to be casual. She looked over at Dot, and immediately read her facial expression.

"You're going to do great," Claudia said, pulling Dot into a quick hug. Noting that Dot still didn't look much calmer, Claudia walked into the living room, and came back with her hands cupped around each other. She indicated for Dot to come over to her. Though confused, Dot complied. Claudia, with a smirk mildly reminiscent of Yakko, opened her hands to revel a small angel necklace.

"My necklace!" Dot gasped, grabbing it. "I thought I had lost it!" Despite the nervous pit in her stomach, Dot felt herself smiling.

"I found it cleaning a couple days ago. I remember you wearing it when we met." Dot hugged Claudia quickly, then put the necklace back on. She felt a bit better afterwords.

"Want some breakfast?" Claudia asked, walking back into the kitchen. Dot quickly shook her head. Despite the return of her necklace, the nervous pit in her stomach was giving off a feeling similar to nausea. "I know you're nervous, but not eating isn't going to help anything. In fact, you'll feel more tired." Dot complied, and, despite the stomach ache, did feel a bit better.

They walked downstairs to the street and into the store. They ended up being the first two to show up, excluding Mrs. Maddie, who was franticly talking on her smart phone.

"Well, you're certainly not lying; you sound terrible! No, no, it's okay, you should stay home. We don't want that spreading any more than it already has. Sleep some, drink plenty of fluids, some chicken noodle soup if you can keep it down," A pause. "Okay then. Feel better soon, good bye," She hung up, then started running her hands through her hair, which, despite the fact it was rather short, was looking rather messy.

"Mrs. Maddie," Claudia began, and she looked up, looking rather relieved that Dot and Claudia were there. "Is everything okay?"

Mrs. Maddie took a deep breath before answering. "No. Four people have called in sick; apparently, there's a rather bad stomach bug going around. I had planned on maybe having one or two people out, not four! What are we going to do?" Mrs. Maddie sat down, and it was weird for Dot to see her normally annoyingly perky boss look so stressed.

"We'll help kids get ready for homecoming, like we always do. We'll just have to work a bit harder than expected," Claudia said, walking towards her boss and putting a reassuring arm around her.

Dot walked forward. "I can always take a few more people," she offered. "I know you gave me less because I'm newer, but I can handle it."

Both Claudia and Mrs. Maddie looked up. "You sure, Dot?" Mrs. Maddie said.

Dot nodded. "I can always use my toon abilities if needed." Without warning, Mrs. Maddie pulled Dot into a very tight hug.

"You're such a hard worker! I really appreciate it, Dot!" She exclaimed, and Dot resisted the urge to break out of the hug. Claudia's snickers at her obvious discomfort were no help. When she was finally released, Dot took a deep breath to regain some lost oxygen, then smiled at Mrs. Maddie. More people started coming in, and they got to work on some last minuet preparations. Dot got her new client schedule, her changes written in Mrs. Maddie's handwriting with colorful ink.

At eight o'clock, the doors opened, and clients flooded in. Even though she'd been told that the morning session was less crazy than the afternoon, Dot still was going as fast as she possibly could just to keep up. Some clients had no idea what they wanted, which meant playing a game of guess and check on a time limit. Other had a very specific idea of what they wanted, which could still be difficult if they couldn't meet their expectations with the current stock. Dot found herself working at toon speeds, gaining some wide eyes from her clients. She couldn't help but be impressed at her human companions who were somehow keeping up with the pace. The loss of the four sick workers could still be felt, however.

Once noon hit and the morning clients left, all very happy, Dot, Claudia, and the others about collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. "I'm very proud of all you guys!" Mrs. Maddie exclaimed, getting some very tired replies. "However, we still have the afternoon session to get through." A chorus of groans came at this.

"We're pretty new to this, but, ahhhh, do you think we could be any help?"

_That voice...But, it can't be!_

Dot turned toward the sound and saw Yakko and Wakko, both in tuxedo's, standing there. Yakko was smiling slyly, and Wakko, the effect of the tux diminished slightly by his hat, had his big goofy grin on.

Dot wordlessly got up and looked at her brothers. She could feel the eyes of everybody else on her, their brains making the connection between her and the two stranger's standing in the shop.

Suddenly, she ran forward and quickly pulled her brothers into a hug. They quickly returned the favor, causing a chorus of "Awww!" to emerge from the crowd, but Dot didn't care.

"It's good to see ya again, sister sibling," Yakko muttered into her ear. Dot smiled at him as they broke apart.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"You mentioned how busy Homecoming Day was in your letters," Wakko began.

"And, ahhhhh, we decided to come by and help." Yakko finished.

"Well, we sure could use it!" Mrs. Maddie said, coming over. "I'm Mrs. Maddie, by the way."

"We've heard," Yakko deadpanned. Before Dot could defend her boss, Yakko's eyes trailed over to the side, then he broke into a grin.

"Hellooooo Claudia!" He yelled, then jumped into Claudia's arms, while Wakko followed suit, Dot face palmed, and everyone else laughed. "Ya know, picture's really don't do you justice," Yakko smirked, then he and Wakko kissed her. The laughing got louder while Dot felt her cheeks blushing in both embarrassment and anger. Claudia, giggling good naturedly, yet blushing as well, set them down.

"If this wasn't the first time I had seen you guys in almost two months, you'd be so dead," Dot muttered through clenched teeth. _Boys, go fig..._

"Ah, you know you missed us," Yakko said.

"Somehow, I did," Dot said sarcastically, but that melted away quickly after another hug. "So, were you guys serious about helping?"

"Yep!" They chorused together. So, Dot, Claudia, and Mrs. Maddie spent the rest of lunch break giving the Warner Brothers a crash course in hosting and making them a schedule of clients.

At one o'clock, the afternoon session began, and like Dot was told, it was crazier than the morning. Dot and her bothers were all using their toon abilities just to keep up, and Dot again felt impressed with her human coworkers. Yakko and Wakko had a bit of trouble at the beginning, but had caught on quickly. A couple of clients who were fans of their show spotted Wakko and spent about five minutes squeezing him. Yakko found this very amusing until they spotted him, and he spent_ ten_ minutes caught in a hug.

Seven o'clock came quicker than expected and soon the last clients were out of the store. Mrs. Maddie got up in front of everyone. "Great job everyone! Another successful Homecoming Day completed! As is tradition, you get tomorrow off, and you guys better rest up! Stay healthy; don't get that stomach bug that's going around, because I'm expecting a portion of you guys to show up for work on Monday! If you need me to sigh off for community service hours, see me now, otherwise goodnight and great job all!"

Dot, Yakko, Wakko, and Claudia walked out of the store into the early twilight. Dot shivered slightly at a sudden breeze, and Wakko quickly put his jacket around her. She turned toward her brothers.

"I still can't believe you guys came all the way out here! When did you get in?"

"Last night. We're at the hotel just down the road," Yakko said.

"I'm rather impressed. You guys did a pretty good job for your first day."

"Pretty good?" Yakko said, scoffing. "Sister sibling, Wakko and I were perfect!"

"Yeah, says the guy who knocked over a rack of dresses at one point," Dot smirked and raised an eyebrow. Yakko punched her playfully in the arm.

"I'm hungry," Wakko said.

"What else is new?" Yakko deadpanned.

"Something's never change," Dot said, grinning slightly.

"We could always go get dinner," Claudia said. "We are near a plethora of restaurants."

So they did. Wakko scared away their first waiter with his "gookie", Yakko got into a rather large and interesting debate with a grumpy man sitting near them, and Dot felt herself joining in on the fun.

They left the restaurant laughing, Claudia especially so. When they got back to the apartment, however, saying goodbye got a bit difficult.

"So, you have tomorrow off, right?" Wakko asked.

"Yeah, didn't you listen to Mrs. Maddie?" Dot asked.

"I was too hungry to listen!" Dot rolled her eyes at his excuse.

"So, you guys are staying here, right?" Yakko asked, double checking. Dot nodded. "So we'll see ya here tomorrow, right?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," Dot said, gaining a couple of chuckles from her bothers. "Goodnight," She said to her brothers after one last hug.

"Goodnight," They replied, then headed towards their hotel.

"They're so much cooler in person," Claudia said as they headed back to their apartment.

"Sure," Dot said, half sarcastic. Despite that, the other half was genuine. It had been really nice to finally see them again. And the best part was getting to see them again tomorrow.

* * *

_Yay, reunions! Again, so sorry it was so much later in the day than normal! Also, don't expect to see around the site much the next two weeks; band camp's starting up. Oh, joy... XD I'll still post the 14th and final chapter on time, but if you're working on a story I'm following, I won't be reviewing much come Monday. I apologize in advance. Thanks again for all your support, sorry today was late, and I'll see you all next week! :D_


	14. Choices

_Chapter 14 and the final chapter! :O Thank you all so much for reading and suppoting this story, weather you've been here from the start, came in at the middle, or waited 'till this was complete. It's been fun, and it means a lot to me! :) _

**It's the last chapter. I have a feeling you're not going to sue me. ;)**

* * *

The next day, Dot slept in until 10, then went into the kitchen. Though she wasn't surprised to see Claudia there, she was surprised to see Yakko and Wakko. _I figured they'd come a bit later on._

"Hey guys. What's up?"

"What, we can't eat breakfast with the sister we haven't seen in two months?" Yakko said, sarcastic and wearing a big smile to indicate a joke, but a mild amount of guilt jolted through Dot. She sat down at the table to see that Claudia had already made her waffles.

"Well," Claudia said, looking at her phone. "I've got some errands to run, so I'll go do that while you three catch up." She said, rather quickly, then left.

"So," Yakko started, but Dot could already see where this conversation was heading.

"You want to know if I've made up my mind about me possibly moving back to Burbank." Yakko and Wakko nodded.

"To be completely honest, I've been rather busy, so I haven't been able to think about it as much as I'd like to. There's also the fact that I'm really happy here, and I've found something I'm good at; making people happy and getting them ready for big occasions they'd otherwise miss out on."

"We understand." Yakko said. "It's just..."

"We're flying back tomorrow." Wakko finished.

"Oh." Dot said quietly. They were quiet for a while. Then, a light bulb appeared over Yakko's head, literally.

"I've got an idea..." He said, leaning in as Dot and Wakko did as well. As Yakko explained his idea, Dot felt herself feeling slightly conflicted. Sure, it _could_ work, but it would be hard for it to just get off the ground. Also, it required moving back to Burbank, and Dot still hadn't made her mind up about that part yet.

"So, what'da think?" Yakko asked as they pulled away.

"It could work," She watched as Yakko and Wakko's eyes lit up. "But, I'm still not sure about some aspects of it."

"You're gonna want to think about it, right?" Wakko asked, and Dot nodded.

"Well, just let us know when you've made up your mind," Yakko said. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed and a familar sly grin appered on his face.

"Hey, Wakko, remember that bellhop that became our 'special friend' this morning?" Wakko nodded, and Dot felt a familar feeling that came with "special friends"; anger, but at the same time, a sense of eagerness to have some fun.

"You're thinking he'd like to meet the Warner Sister, huh?" Dot asked, equally sly grin appering on her face, while Yakko nodded. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Wakko chorused a "Faboo!" while Dot quickly scribbled a note letting Claudia know that they were "hanging out". As they headed toward the hotel, Dot couldn't help but smile. _It's just like old times._

* * *

The next day, Dot stood outside Ms. Maddie's door. She'd just seen Yakko and Wakko off at the airport. The envelope in her gloved hands shook slightly. She raised a still shaking fist and knocked on the door.

_It's now or never._

"Come in!" Ms. Maddie chirped. Dot walked in. "Dottie, dear!" Dot cringed slightly, but pushed down the rage that came with being called "Dottie". "What do you need?"

"I need to ask you a question," Dot said.

"Fire away."

"First; I've decided to move back to Burbank."

"Well, that's not a question, but-"

"I know, that's coming." Dot interrupted. "I've loved working here, really. But, I miss my brothers too much, and I've accomplished my goal for coming here to Atlanta; find something I'm good at. And I'm really good at this!" She says, gesturing to the store.

"So, what I wanted to know is: Can I open a branch of The Magic Closet in LA? I'd manage it, of course, but I wanted to make sure I had the copyright and stuff."

"Of course you can, sweetie! That would be fabulous! And, that's such a great idea!"

"It's Yakko's, not mine," Dot admitted.

"Still, I would be honored to have a branch of my humble little store in Los Angles! And there's no one I'd have manage it but you." She said, winking at Dot.

"Thank you. Really, thank you for everything. For hiring me, and giving me a chance. And, that makes handing in this resignation letter so much harder."

Ms. Maddie smiled. "I expected this. In fact, as soon as your brothers walked into the store, I knew that you'd be leaving us soon. But, I can't wait to hear all about your store in LA!"

"I'll keep you updated," Dot said. "My flight's on Saturday, so..."

"You're last day's Friday. I understand." Ms. Maddie said with a wink.

Dot started to walk out of the office. "Again, thanks for everything."

"No problem."

Dot's last few days in Atlanta passed by quickly. She packed the last of her things, sending some home ahead of her. The last day of work, she was sent with a bag down to Goodwill. When she got back, she found a small good bye party waiting for her.

"You guys didn't have to do this!" Dot exclaimed.

"Yes," Claudia said. "We had to." Socializing, cake, and even some small presents came her way. Claudia came up later on.

"I wanted to give you this now," She said, unclipping Dot's angel necklace from her neck. Blocking it from view, Claudia slipped something on the chain.

"Close your eyes." She commanded, and Dot did so. Dot felt the chain be clipped back on her neck, and found that it was slightly heavier than normal. She opened when she felt Claudia move away. Looking down, Dot saw a locket charm hanging next to the angel. She opened it, and saw a picture of herself and Claudia.

"Claudia-" Dot began, but Claudia shushed her, then smiled.

The next day, all of Dot's things that she hadn't already mailed to Yakko and Wakko were by the door of the apartment. Dot, wearing her normal clothes with the addition of her necklace, walked into the hall to see Claudia zipping up Dot's carry on backpack.

"What's going on?" Dot asked, rising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing," Claudia blatantly lied. "Just making sure that you've got everything." Dot gave her a look. Claudia shot her one back, but it deflated quickly.

"I can't believe I'm about to lose my first roommate," Claudia muttered.

"Aww, you'll find another one. And, we'll still write, and we can visit. You'll want to see my new shop, right?"

"You're right," Claudia smiled lightly. A car horn honked outside. "That must be out taxi. Ready to go?"

Dot took a deep breath, torn slightly. Finally, she nodded.

The flight to the airport was a short one, and too soon Claudia and Dot were saying goodbye in front of security.

"Call me when you land."

"Okay, mom," Dot joked, to make Claudia laugh. It kinda worked. Claudia suddenly pulled Dot into a tight hug.

"Goodbye," Claudia muttered.

"Goodbye," Dot said back. They pulled away and Dot headed toward security.

"Dot!" Dot turned to see Claudia calling out to her. "Don't open you're backpack 'till you're on the plane!"

"Okay!" Dot called back, then tuned back to keep shuffling forward in line.

Finally, after long lines, the TSA getting worked up over some batteries or something, eating some overpriced airport fast food for lunch, and waiting an hour for her plane, Dot was in her seat.

She suddenly remembered Claudia's instruction to look in her backpack. Dot opened it up to find a scrapbook, the words "Roomie!" stenciled across the top. Dot smiled, and started looking through it. Pictures of the fun they had; days at work, the time they went to the aquarium on a day off, some of them at Homecoming Day, and of her hugging Yakko and Wakko when they showed up. The final picture was of the two of them, at some candid moment from a random day at work, making, as Wakko would call them, "gookies". Next to it where the words "Thanks for being my best friend!"

Dot smiled, when the plane suddenly started taxing off the runway. Dot looked out the window as the plane entered the sky. Though she already missed Atlanta and Claudia, she couldn't help but feel happy.

_I'm heading home._

* * *

_And that's it! How'da like it? Tell me using that little review button! As for new stories, I have good news and bad news. Bad news; I'm scraping the story I was working on. I just ran out of ideas, and it was becoming somewhat cliche. Good news; I do have a new story in-progress! :D The idea came to me a couple day's ago, and I was going to start it after band camp, but insparation struck last night! XD I pretty much have the entire plot planned out, which means I'll most likely finish this one! Expect it at some point this fall. (I hope! XD) There might be some one-shot's in the mean time, but until then, this is MusicGeek764 signning off, saying "Goodnight everybody!" :D_


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